Having plowed through the first four worlds of 3D Land, it appears this Super Mario title has as much charm and excitement as its predecessors.

The details of the story should come as little surprise to longtime Mario fans: Princess Peach is once again snatched by nemesis Bowser, sending Mario on a quest to rescue her.

Although Mario games with three-dimensional graphics are not new, Super Mario 3D Land is the first game with full 3-D effects. Environments feature lots of depth. Players will watch Mario zip behind obstacles with only a view of his shadow as they explore each inch of the stage.

Mario has his usual tricks, such as Flowers that grant him the ability to toss fireballs, and his classic Tanooki suit. The raccoon-like outfit lets Mario glide across tricky platforms or float to reach a higher section of a level. Collected extra power-ups can be stored and used at any time.

As with other recent Mario titles, players also have the ability to backtrack through previously conquered worlds, seeking out hidden paths or snagging items missed in the first trip through.

3D Land is a textbook Mario game. The worlds are vibrant and colorful, and the platforming is fun and challenging.

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About Mike Snider

Mike Snider began covering the video game industry during the Super Nintendo-Sega Genesis clash in 1992. An original pinball wizard, he eventually was seduced by Robotron: 2084 and Tempest. These days he is a fan of action/shooters and lives out his Keith Moon fantasies playing a mean drum kit on music games. More about Mike.

About Brett Molina

Brett Molina has been writing about video games for USA TODAY since 2005. He is well-versed in Madden NFL, the fighting genre and first-person shooters. The first video game he played was Asteroids at a local arcade. He has been hooked ever since. More about Brett.